The line "The future kissed you, called you king, Did she? Deceiver!" is something I remembered from school, because it's so powerful. The Poem is "Brothers Who When the Sirens Roar" written by W H Auden in the 1930s. It's actually political and predicts the downfall of the wealthy upper class both incorrectly and pretentiously. The first stanza of another Auden poem "Lay Your Sleeping Head My Love" (Lullaby) is more romantic.

"Brothers Who When the Sirens Roar" written by W H Auden in the 1930s. It's actually political and predicts the downfall of the wealthy upper class both incorrectly and pretentiously.

I believe it's actually about being in a shelter during a bombing raid.

Much like Picasso's Guernica.

If you've ever experienced it you'd understand.

That's unlikely because Auden moved to the States in 1939 before the bombing began. You're right about the bombing of Guernica (1937). I have experienced the painting at home for years and at full-size in the UN building in New York. The original is in Madrid.

Auden travelled to China in 1938 with writer Christopher Isherwood during the Second Sino-Japanese War
. They spent several months visiting the war zone.

He was also in Spain during the "Civil" war there.